Jesus and his disciples are standing in the middle of the Women’s Courtyard of Herod’s Temple. Jesus stands looking toward the Holy of Holies and gestures to some passing Levites.

Jesus: Destroy this temple and I’ll raise it in three days!

Levites (surprised): Look at this, he’s got a demon! He’s cursing the temple! He is so going to hell.

Disciples: Wha?

Jesus: This is just a pile of rocks. The day is coming when a holy mountain here, in Samaria or in Sinai won’t mean a thing. I am the cornerstone of the temple.

Levites (indignantly): Somebody get the guards and a couple of Pharisees. ‘Mr. Messiah’ doesn’t appreciate the Scripture or the temple.

A pharisee arrives.

Pharisee: Let’s stone him!

Levites: Yeah! A stoning!

Scribes and sadducees gather.

Scribes: We can get him for blasphemy and swearing…yeah, he’ll stone real good.

Peter (trying to calm folks down): Here! Here! Let’s not go overboard…he’s speaking in mysteries. You’ve heard his parables! We hear this all the time.

Crowd (mumbling): Isn’t this Jesus, the rabbi from Galilee who heals everyone?

Levites: Doesn’t matter who he is. He’s got a demon and is talking about destroying the temple.

Jesus (holding up his hands): If you can hear, listen! Within a generation THIS temple (motioning toward the courts) will be destroyed. But THIS temple (pointing to himself) will rise again in three days.

Disciples: Um, Jesus, maybe take a minute and explain your parable…or, we could slip out about now…

Jesus (pauses, then heads for the Beautiful Gate): Let’s go back to Bethany–the ladies have dinner waiting.

Disciples (hustling Jesus on): Yes! Dinner time! (To the crowd) Sorry for the inconvenience, we’ll be back tomorrow and we’ll tell you what he’s saying.

Levites: Well, what about stoning the demon?

Scribes: He got away…maybe we get him tomorrow.

Jesus and the disciples head toward Bethany. They take a short break for a drink at Siloam Fountain.

Peter: Jesus, what were you talking about back there?

Jesus: God’s temple is not a place, it’s me and you–all you guys. Your bodies are God’s temple. Everywhere you go is a holy place.

John: We are God’s temple? I thought the Holy of Holies was God’s footstool and his glory is behind the veil with Moses’ ark.

Jesus: Yes. You won’t understand the three day thing until later, but remember: No more temples. We are done with holy places, holy guys, holy rituals and stuff. You are to do two things: Love God and love others as I have loved you. From now on, all you need to be doing is loving. When you take care of the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and imprisoned you are taking care of me.

Peter: What about holy places?

Jesus: You are a holy place and you have the Keys to heaven and hell. The temple model is over and done. The model temple is you loving those around you.

______

Tr8: Things have changed. In Jesus, you are okay, it’s not about you anymore. It’s about those around you.

Murphy, the non-disciple, and his wife, Harpreet, have just settled in for the night–kids are in bed and sleeping. Ten feet away.

Harpreet (whispering): You’ve been talking a lot of Jesus who was executed recently.

Murhpy (whispering): Yeah, he’s back. Amazing. I think he’s God… (pause) I talked with him in Jerusalem last week. ‘Said, his way was THE WAY to live and know God.

Harpreet (louder, Murph puts a finger to her lips): God! (quieter) Sounds like India. We have gods by the bundle at home in Cambay. Which god do you think Jesus is?

Murph: Not a god–the god. How many of your family’s gods have risen from the dead and talked with you lately? Have you seen Buddha at the well this week? Jesus is the real deal.

Harpreet: Hmm. Don’t all religions have the same end–nirvana, heaven, hope and peace with major helpings of health and prosperity? In India, we have–Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Krishna, Rama, Hanuman, and goddesses like Lakshmi, Durga, Kali and Saraswati–and that’s just getting started. We also have Buddha, who teaches noble truths and an eightfold path.

Murph: Yeah, Buddha had some good things to say about self-denial, but apart from a work-around on suffering, he left you with a wheel-of-life or oblivion. While some of his followers say he passed on nirvana to get people off the wheel–he didn’t do a Pentecost with wind and languages, right? The other gods haven’t much to offer either.

Harpreet: Well, Jesus was different.

Murph: Jesus was, or is, different because he lived/lives as you’d imagine God would live if he were a human. He was awesomely god 24/7. You met him. I’ve been with his disciples for years.

Harpreet: Yes, such a caring man! He was the nicest person you ever brought into this house. The kids loved him.

Murph: See, you get it–you know him. For those who don’t, he not only lived truth and grace perfectly–he rose from the dead! He was too much for a grave to hold. He couldn’t not live–the Jews and the Romans couldn’t put him down. They got rid of him and he came back! Everybody in Jerusalem and Judea know this story. And it’s spreading. How embarrassing for the Temple dudes.

Harpreet: Well, that does put him in a class above all the other gods and religious leaders I’ve ever heard of. So, he can’t not live?

Murph: Yep. He can’t be stopped. Not only that, he told me that if I abided in him, I’d also be unstoppable. I believe him! No grave for me–I’ve hitched my cart to him and trust his word. Ultimately, I’ll be with him, wherever he is.

Harpreet: What about me? I, too, have met him. And after what you’ve said, I believe he’s God, too.

Murph: You repent and–his words, not mine–“Love God with all you have and love your neighbors as yourself.” Most of his group were baptized, some maybe twice, when they repented and put faith in God for forgiveness. John the Baptist baptized me before he was taken to prison and executed.

Murph: We’ll ask the disciples who should do it, but they’ll have trouble with you, not being a Jew and all. Barnabas might help us out. Right now it’s kind of a Jewish thing. Even so, they’ve heard all the different languages when the Holy Spirit descended. That ought to be a clue. They also saw how Jesus loved me even though I’m not a Jew or a disciple. Jesus told me to wait ’cause Peter was going to have a dream and us non-disicples were going to be allowed to join The Way.

Harpreet: I guess there are lots of gods and religions, but they all have different ends. Only Jesus gives me a personal relationship with God, his Father. My faith reveals truth and grace for application in my life. I never got that through faith in Hindu gods, Buddha or the sacred rocks and trees at home.

Like this:

John the Baptist is standing in the Jordan River inviting the crowds to repent and be baptized. His baptizing is a new thing and people–lots of people–have come from Jerusalem and the countryside to see and hear what’s going on. Earlier in the week he baptized Jesus and a few of his disciples defected. One of John’s disciples, Zach, is on the bank of the river trying to get his attention.

Murph: You know the blog I keep on the blackboard inside? I’ve hit a roadblock. I usually like to write about you, but I have a block.

Jesus: Hmmm. What’s the problem?

Murph: Well, I’ve just finished reading I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Jeremiah…I’m not seeing you in there too much. You see, I believe you are who you say you are–you’re God. Yet, you seem pretty violent in past.

Jesus (shrugging): I get this a lot. First, the big idea the writers were trying to get across is that I’m pretty jealous. No, I really jealous. Second, those folks who wrote about me, didn’t know me like you do. Plus, those folks had no appreciation of the value of a life.

John: I’ve wondered about that, too. A lot of killing and destruction back then.

Jesus: The Children of Abraham have been loved and warned about my jealousy from the beginning. I don’t like other gods before me. I can’t explain Old Testament violence in a way you’ll understand, so you’ll have to trust me. Just believe this: It’s going to all work out in the end in spite of all the suffering–I’m going to make all things new someday. You’ll get to see it.

Murph: So, do we need to be afraid of you?

Jesus: Yes.

John: Aw, come on, we know you. You love us and we’re good in you.

Jesus: Still, it’s not good to place others or stuff in front of me. You see, YOU guys are pretty good about keeping things in their place. I let you know when I want change.

Jesus: Here it is: I want to be first in your life. I want you to be my disciples. I want you to think of me and then apply me in your life.

Murph: For example…

Jesus: For example, I don’t like it if you put your wife before me unless you put your wife before me because that’s what I want. Murph, you aren’t one of the Twelve. You could be, but that’s not what I want and you know it. You are committed, but you are also married with a family and influence in this community. What I want for you is for you to put your wife, family and community first because I want you to. It’s a paradoxicle–by putting me first, you put them first.

John: Sure, the first-last thing.

Jesus: Yeah, sort of.

Murph: So, when I don’t filter the rest of my life through you, you get jealous.

Jesus: Yes. The road to destruction begins with your turning away from me. Life is me, death is not me. Life is full of suffering, but I can guarantee that if you don’t put me first, the suffering will not only increase, but will seem all the more cruel and pointless. I am The Way, The Truth and The Life–no one experiences God except through me.

James: I guess I already knew this was true. You’ve been teaching us this from the beginning. I don’t see your jealousy much because I love you.

John: Me, too. You ARE love. We find abundant life in you.

Jesus: But beware. I’m not kidding. Don’t be like the Pharisees or Sadducees. I’m so disappointed in their love of Torah and traditions. My spirit groans for them. Their futures do not look bright. You guys will see–within your lifetime Jerusalem will be a wasteland, the Temple will be gone and Israel will be no more. If only they would see and hear, but they are stubborn and stiffnecked.

Murph: I hope to keep you first, Rabbi.

Jesus: You do well, Murph, but remember, I’m watching you.

—

Tr8: Jesus is watching and he is jealous. Keep him first and love according to his will.

Sim: Ramot won in extra innings. Ben-bar-Ben hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 11th.

Bart: Who pitched for us?

Sim: Juan Valdez relieved Pedro Sanchez, but he couldn’t pull it off.

Bart: Hmmm.

As they watch their pigs begin to hop and chase their tails.

Sim (surprised): What in the world?!

Bart (in wonder): Our pigs are dancing!

Sim: Dancing pigs! There’s denari in this! I bet people would pay to see pigs dance!

Bart (excitedly): Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like this. Look! They’re all starting to run in a circle together!

Sim: And listen to ‘em squeal and bark!

Bart: Looks like Momma Sow is in the lead.

Sim: Who’d’a thought she could run like that?!

Bart: Hang on…where’re they goin?

Sim: Whoa! Pigs! Sooee! Sooee!

Bart: They’re headin’ for the lake!

Sim and Bart run after the pigs, yelling for them to stop. The whole herd goes head-first off a bluff into the lake. Sim and Bart stop at the edge and look down.

Bart (gulping): Them pigs committed mass suicide.

Sim (wide-eyed): Holy smoke… Come on. I think we’re in trouble.

Bart turns and heads into town. Sim follows. When they reach the town square they shout and a crowd gathers.

Bart: Listen everybody! Our whole herd of pigs started dancing and then ran into the lake! They committed mass suicide!

Townelder: You guys sound like Crazy Jimbo. Show me what happened.

The elder and townsfolk follow Bart and Sim out to the bluff. They look down. Pigs are washing up on the shore below.

Elder: What in tarnation? Has anyone seen any witches?

John (a teenager): There’s a team of guys docked about an hour ago. I thought they were the ball team from Capernaum here to play tonight.

Sim: No, that game’s tomorrow night.

Elder: Let’s check this out.

They all follow the elder toward the landing. They walk past the tombs cut into the bluff.

Bart: Look out for Crazy Jimbo. He was throwing rocks at Sim and me yesterday.

They pass through the tombs without incident and come to the landing. There they see a group of men sitting with Crazy Jimbo roasting fish.

Elder: What’s the meaning of this? Who are you and what is Jimbo doing here?

Peter: This is Jesus and we are his disciples. He’s the Messiah from God and he just cast a bunch of demons out of Jimbo and they went into a bunch of pigs up on the bluff. Pretty amazing stuff. This man here, is for real.

Elder: What? He wiped out a whole herd of pigs just like that? Who’s going to replace the pigs?

Jesus: Don’t you see? Jimbo was lost, but now he is found. He was crazy, but now he is back. You can walk through the tombs without fear now. You can get more pigs.

Elder: But what about our bacon? We love bacon! We want our bacon back.

Jimbo: This man, Jesus, saved me!

Elder (eyebrow raised): This is a fine mess you’ve gotten us into. Why didn’t you just straighten up and come home yourself? You’ve cost us a year’s worth of pigs.

Jimbo: The spirits living in me wouldn’t let go and I was too weak. Jesus spoke and they left. I’m a new man. We should take him and his men into town and have a feast! He can heal everyone at the gate!

Elder: Feast?! We now have a bacon shortage!

Jesus: I understand your wanting bacon, but your brother, Jimbo, is whole again. He can return to his family and open his shop again. I can also heal your sick. I’d like to come to town and show you all there’s more to life than your appetites. Appetites are the doorway to addictions and addictions are spirits who won’t let go easily.

Elder: I think not. Next thing we know you’ll have our cats jumping outa trees, turn our wine into water and cigarettes into celery. AND we are facing a year without bacon! You and your lot can get back on your boat and go where you came from.

Jimbo (raising his voice): You’ve just sent away the best thing that every happened around here. If he could do this for me, think what he could have done for the folks back in town. The Messiah was here and you sent him away!

Elder: We’ve gotten along well enough without him. We have to find a way to get more bacon. Maybe we can get some pigs from over in Ramot.

The elder and townsfolk march back up the hill to town. The elder’s mother sits on a piece of sackcloth at the gate begging for alms. She is blind. Others around the gate are also begging. The crowd moves on into town. Jimbo stops at the gate and begins helping the beggars.

—

Tr8: Don’t let your appetites and addictions push Jesus away. Your pigs may commit suicide, but you’ll be better off in the end.